Nemesis
by Shadow of Hearts
Summary: Descending from generations of fighting, a Zangoose and a Seviper forge a rather nontraditional bond that changes how they view one another in the scope of this age-long blood feud.


Nemesis

The blood feud was no secret, no mystery, and no enigma to anyone. For time untold, this feud existed between Sevipers and Zangoose. Was it a matter of revenge? Supremacy? The roots of this feud have long been lost to the annals of time. Would this feud ever see an end? What sort of end were they seeking? Utter annihilation? Mutual destruction? Regardless of the reason, they fight on at every chance, every moment, and every opportunity to the bitter end…

_Day 1- Encounter_

Route 114 was in an uproar. Seedots and Lotads fled for dear life. Swablu flew away to safety. A grassy patch rustled ferociously before the cat ferret Pokémon and fang snake Pokémon emerged engaged in mortal combat.

Seviper had a firm coil on Zangoose, but Zangoose were resilient specimen willing to thrash about to find liberation from the lethal hold. Seviper could only try to endure and keep its hold to suffocate its hated nemesis.

"Hurry up and die!" Seviper hissed as it strengthened its coil.

"After you!" Zangoose shot back hatefully despite being short on air.

Zangoose dug its fangs deep into Seviper's hide. Seviper tried to endure, but the fangs of the ferret were indeed fierce. Zangoose only dug its fangs deeper. Seviper reluctantly relented and quickly released the cat ferret.

Zangoose spat the blood from its mouth. Now with the freedom of its arms and claws, it was now its turn to take to the offense. Its claws ripped through the air hoping to sample flesh and the fatal blow. Sevipers, unlike Zangoose, were cunning and calculating specimen. Waiting for the opening, Seviper extended and struck with speed and precision at Zangoose's side. The value of perseverance and patience was a mighty tool. It returned the favor as it dug its large fangs into Zangoose's side venom dripping into its veins causing it to flinch.

The history of the feud has recorded the resilience of the Zangoose against a Seviper's infamous poison. A natural immunity developed over the course of the feud, but there were a small sect of Zangoose that were born with notably weaker immune systems that couldn't bear the toxic. For a time, they were mocked by both Sevipers and Zangoose alike, but in that weakness they developed a trait that would make them revered and feared. For the toxic triggered a fierce, feral instinct to survive that made them just a strong and fearsome as those with immunity.

This Zangoose was one of them.

Seviper quickly withdrew its fangs as it felt the change in Zangoose. Zangoose recovered once more and resumed a new, galvanized assault. Seviper displayed its expertise with its famed Poison Tail utilizing it to fend of Zangoose's Crush Claw barrage. The sound of tail and claws clashing echoed throughout the route.

The deadly duel lasted to fifth watch. Their energies spent, wounds deep, morale depleted. Today, no Seviper or Zangoose corpse would litter the ground. Both sides withdrew; a simple postponement of their duel.

_Day 2- Mercy I_

A strange sensation filled Seviper since the encounter. Was it the thrill of the battle? The pureness of seeking to overcome its foe? It couldn't figure it out, but it couldn't help but feel conflicted. Did it feel respect for its nemesis? Yet, it inherited a feud that saw no room for such sentiments for the hated foe! How could it possibly…

Though it wounds hadn't fully healed from the wounds of the day prior, Seviper sought to end Zangoose. Large was Route 114, but the habits of its nemesis would betray it. Claw marks on trees, footprints, and tufts of fur would lead the trail to its nemesis. Zangoose were basic creatures.

There it was!

Zangoose had been located. However, it appeared weak, worn, and unfit for combat. With its own eyes, Seviper can once again attest to the resilient nature of its nemesis. Though badly poisoned, it survived to see this day. Seviper could only feel that sense of respect for its nemesis once again.

Easy would be the kill, but Seviper stayed its bladed tail and fangs as it withdrew. The pathetic sight of its slowly dying to poison left a horrid taste in Seviper's mouth. It quietly faded into the grass.

"Who's there!?" Zangoose said seeking the source of rustling grass. It coughed viciously as purple liquid came from its mouth. Its senses were dulled, but it was willing to fight tooth and nail for its survival. The poison had blurred its sense of sight and its muscles were weakened and required much of its strength to stand let alone move.

From out the grass, a berry was thrown in front of Zangoose. Zangoose cautiously approached the berry sniffing it to discover the dulled scent of a Pecha Berry. Though, it knew the value of it, it smelled the scent of its hated nemesis. Was this an act of mercy? Unfathomable!

Zangoose would live another day. Suspicious, yet thankful for the deed.

_Day 3- Mercy II_

Zangoose sniffed the ground picking up the trail of Seviper. The smell of blood penetrated its nose. Small dot-like footprints were also present along the trail.

Zangoose was still curious about yesterday's events. Did its nemesis truly show an act of mercy? Was it some sort of ploy? Regardless of intention, Zangoose was fully healed of poison and ready to finish Seviper. However, the smell of blood perplexed it, it had been two days since it and Seviper battled. The ability of Seviper to shed its skin is to be commended for even deep wounds would become minor within days or hours. But for there to be dried blood meant fresher wounds not caused by Zangoose. What's more were the tracks. Never had Zangoose seen such tracks by any Pokémon.

Zangoose hastened to find its nemesis.

Zangoose found it nemesis cornered by three scorpion-like creatures. They each dug their clawed tails into Seviper causing its older wounds to open as well as adding fresher ones. Seviper was ultimately defenseless with its exterior constantly compromised and more foes than it.

"Back off!" Zangoose snarled leaping wildly into the fray striking down one. "That one's mine!"

The other two coordinated and surrounded Zangoose on two flanks, but Zangoose made quick work. Ultimately, the three Pokémon fled into the grass.

"Come to finish me?" Seviper said weakly. Seviper was loosely coiled, but starting to uncoil slowly. Its strength was depleted and was unable to defend if Zangoose choice to attack.

Zangoose bared it claws to Seviper only to lower them. A sense of repayment filled it. A life for a life. But why should it show mercy? It was one attack away from end its hated nemesis…

"We're even." Zangoose said turning its back.

Another act of mercy in a bloody feud. Seviper would live to see another day. Suspicious, yet thankful for the deed.

_Day 4- Connection_

Once again the deadly duel was afoot. Neither side letting up or yielding. However, unlike the first encounter, this fight lacked much of the original bloodlust it was almost like two fighter pitting their strength against another. Something had changed between the two. No longer were they cursing one another, no longer did they seek the death of the other, and no longer was hatred thrived.

This time the fighting ceased at third watch. The two combatants stood across from one another.

"It's shame really." Seviper said between pants.

"What is?" Zangoose said panting as well.

"That I have you as a nemesis, but still respect you."

"Respect, huh? I guess the feeling's mutual isn't it?"

"Seven years have I lived on this route and never had I encountered a Zangoose like you."

"I've been on this route for seven years as well. I guess you can almost say we're brothers in that respect."

"Why do we fight?"

"I've always wondered that myself."

Again, neither Zangoose nor Seviper corpse would litter the ground.

For the following months, the two would engage in combat only to retire after roughly twenty passes. It was through these duels that a strange bond was formed.

The cold season came. The route had fallen silent as many of the habitants moved away to warmer climates or hibernated.

Zangoose walked in the quietness of the route. The cold temperatures were of little concern to Zangoose; its fur was sufficient to endure the season provided it doesn't overstay its welcome.

Zangoose's ear twitched as it heard something in the distance. It knew the sound and it rushed to the source.

Zangoose looked in horror. Seviper was trapped under a broken tree unable to escape. Its eyes were closed and it was breathing slowly and weakly.

"Seviper!" Zangoose said coming to its aid.

"Zangoose…?" Seviper said weakly trying to open its heavy eyes. "Is that… you?"

"Save your strength, I'm getting you out!"

Zangoose tried to lift the tree, but found it too heavy to lift. It tried to claw it, but it proved too thick to conquer. It tried to dig a way, but the ground was far too strong.

"It's no use…" Seviper murmured.

"I said I'm getting you out!" Zangoose said frantically as it clawed even harder. "Inject me with your venom!"

Seviper tried to lift its head, but found no strength to do it.

"I'm too weak." Seviper said.

"Then I'll do it!"

Zangoose forced Seviper's mouth open and forced Seviper's fang onto its arm. The fang pierced its skin, but no venom would come out. It was evident that Seviper had been trapped for several hours. Its movements were sluggish from the cold and its strength was drained.

"My venom glands…are too dried up." Seviper said. "I won't make it…"

"I'm not letting you die!" Zangoose declared. "I'll bring you food and water!"

"My body's gotten too cold to make it." Seviper said. "Food and water…"

Seviper started to drift into an unconscious-like state. Its eyes started to close again.

"Hey stay with me!"

"So…cold…"

Zangoose refused to let nature take its nemesis. Zangoose threw its body against Seviper hoping to warm it.

"This should do something!" Zangoose said starting to rub against Seviper to generate heat.

"If you stay…you won't make it…" Seviper said lifting its eyelids.

It was true, Zangoose had been out too long for its fur to keep it warm any longer, but it didn't care.

"I'm not letting you die! Got it?"

Zangoose stayed by Seviper side constantly rubbing it. Only for short periods would it leave to find berries. Though Seviper was weak, it found the strength to eat some of the berries. Zangoose kept Seviper conscious preventing it from closing its eyes for long periods. There came a point where Zangoose felt its strength depleting from the cold and trying to keep Seviper warm.

Death slowly approached the two. The cold sapped them of their strength. The two lied by one another breathing shallowly as death neared them.

"How…ironic…" Seviper murmured weakly. "Dying…next to my nemesis."

"It…really is…" Zangoose agreed chuckling lightly. "I guess we're…the rejects…"

Zangoose heard footsteps approaching them.

Zangoose snarled weakly at the human before them hoping to ward him away, but the human stood before them undeterred by its actions.

The human only smiled.

It was now spring; A season of renewal and life.

Zangoose laid back on a stretched out Seviper enjoying the early spring sun.

"I never thought I see a world beyond that route." Seviper said pensively.

"Same here." Zangoose said. "Then again, I never thought I'd see with the world with my mortal enemy."

"The world is strange like that."

"But that's what makes the world what it is."

"I owe it to you that I can say that."

"Nothing was going to take my nemesis from me but me!"

"Still your nemesis, huh?" Seviper said with a small chuckle.

"Not really. Thinking about how far we've come, I figured we're both two sides of some kind of coin."

"Where are you going with this?"

Zangoose stood to its feet and faced Seviper extending its paw.

"This goes without saying, but I'm saying it anyway: I don't want to your nemesis anymore…"

"Then if you're not my nemesis, then you're my friend, no?"

Zangoose shook its head softly.

"I'd rather be your rival."

Seviper smiled as it placed its tail in Zangoose's paw. The two shook on their pact. Seviper suddenly coiled around Zangoose trapping it.

"What the-" Zangoose started.

"Well since we're rivals, you better keep your guard up or I'll surpass you."

"Like I'll lose to a Seviper!" Zangoose said maneuvering its way out Seviper's coil and baring its claws.

"Zangoose, Seviper, we're heading out!" their trainer called out.

Both sighed as their fun was cut short. Both nudged each other as they returned to their trainer. Once hated nemeses and now friendly rivals, the two Pokémon were now on a new path free from the cycle of their age-long blood feud.


End file.
